Velan Navigational Education
The teaching and the profession of Navigation is a core tenant to the Velan Ascendancy’s culture. All former nobles of House Vela were trained in the art, and this tradition continues with most [[The Velan Ascendancy#Education|'Musaeums']] requiring completion of Navigation training before allowing [[Velan Titles|'Mahais']] to move on to other areas of study. The cultural impact of Navigation influences everything in the Ascendancy, common sayings, even religions. Some schools are easier than others to get into and get your LINES certification. The curriculum at different Museaums varies in difficulty and provides different foci depending on the teachers. However, the pinnacle of Navigation education is taught at the [[Musaeum of Pharos|'Musaeum of Pharos']] where only the best are scouted to attend and receive the best jobs upon graduation. First Year Your first year in a navigation college you are labeled a Saeid-Abda. In this year you live in the dorm and take classes from morning to dusk for 5 days and then a 3-day break. The students have a rotating professor who changes every day. You cover 5 subjects: mathematics, star charts, ship basics, orbital physics, and drive space basics. Branches of the College of Navigation After you pass the first year of College you are considered a Talib, someone who passed the first year. The student now picks which of the 4 branches they want to focus in. Using a modified spectral designation for the different branches, the Letter symbolizes what you are training to be and the number what year you are in that program. Class O: Focuses on the strategy of aircraft fighting, as well as advanced navigation techniques and zoning. Requires rank 3 merits as of the Velan Reformation to ensure only those trustworthy are trained in these advanced techniques. Class M: Focuses on navigating commonly traversed trade routes and is the easiest classification to obtain. Most students graduate with this classification. Class F: Focuses on discovering space, documenting space, and the keeping and updating of start charts. Also for charting new trade routes through troubled areas more advanced than Class M. Class G: Focuses on scientific research of stars, anti-matter, and astral bodies. Class B: '''Focuses on teaching and the art of navigation. Cannot be take unless the student has graduated and must have at least 5 years in the class they teach. Initial training here takes longer than others requiring a minimum of 6 years and a completion of mentorship as a '''Mudaris. Once you pick a branch you can switch your focus 2 times. You have to spend a minimum of 3 years under a single branch before you can graduate to the next step. Each year brings new courses and new challenges that you face from morning till dusk, five days on, three days off. Any type of navigation training is done one-on-one with a Ustadh. There is a final test at the end of the year from each teacher that you must pass in order to move on. You can fail one of the tests and still move on to the next level on probation. Shadowing / 4-Year Shaelam Contract At the end of your fourth year, you get assigned to a ship where you will become a Shaelam. As a Shaelam you spend the next 4 years shadowing a navigator, star charter, or researcher called your Mudaris. The Mudaris will mentor the Shaelam to the best of their abilities. As the Shaelam learns and grows they will slowly start taking over duties that the Mudaris gives them, allowing them to become more confident in their abilities. Once the 4 years is complete the Shaelam will travel back to the College and take part in the Graduation Ceremony. The Graduation Ceremony / Donning the Veil Part of the traditions of navigational training is the ceremonial importance of graduation. This practice is done at all Museaums and is one of the traditions that remain constant within The Velan Ascendancy. This ceremony takes place in a specially built area for this purpose that includes a tower to signify the first use and observation of the stars by humans. The towers range in size and shape but there is always a tower with a light from Perithr shining behind it, or an artificial imitation of natural starlight. To pay homage to all that we were, and all that will become. The ceremony signifies the completion of one's time spent in mastering the art and the journeys you have taken and those you are about to. It starts with the burning of incense, followed by a musical performance. Then every Shaelam, one by one, comes into the shadow of the tower and bows before it, symbolizing their respect for knowledge, followed by two claps and speaking "ana 'utir ealaa 'ashrieat min aldaw." After they leave the shadow of the tower they are no longer Shaelam, but Navigators. Velan Navigators also get awarded their first veil during this ceremony. Because of this, the Graduation Ceremony is also called Donning the Veil in the Velan Ascendancy. After the ceremony is complete, there is a feast followed by several parties that go long into the night. All Navigators that take part in the Graduation Ceremony will be automatically registered with the [[LINES Subscriptions & Services#Department of Space Vehicles (DSV)|'Department of Space Vehicles (DSV)']] and given their personal LINES Account Number (LAN). They can use their LAN to access LINES Subscriptions & Services at OBELISKS across the sector. The LAN number starts with a number that represents where you were taught, then followed by how many years in each class you have taken, then a unique hexadecimal 12 digit code afterward. Example using the Musaeum of Pharos: 2221M3O5-1AF30458AEC2 The Graduation Race / Pilgrimage to Ergus Some Velan Navigators make a pilgrimage to the planet [[Ergus|'Ergus']] in the Solequon system to see the second Preceptor Archive in Acheron Rho, and then travel back safely to the Perithr system. Each Navigator must travel alone in a ship in their own possession. They must endure the loneliness of the Void and be all alone beneath the stars. Only Navigators, who went through this experience, have the right to the title Immerser. The Pilgrimage is usually undertaken by only the best Velan navigators as the journey is slightly dangerous when done alone and is hard to accomplish in the time limit. Ship logs are checked upon return before the title of Immerser is given to confirm that the journey to Ergus was made in under 16 days in a Drive-2 rated ship. The majority of Immersers complete the challenge a few years after they graduate but some have attempted to do it right out of Pharos. These attempts are notable if successful as it is a sign of remarkable talent but many an overconfident young Velan has failed and so possible Immersers are cautioned to make sure they are ready before attempting the trip. Technically the Pilgrimage can be made to any outer core rural world of similar distance from Perithr but must be made alone by the Navigator. Historically many Velans chose Ergus in the early days of the tradition (when Vela started teaching itself the new form of charting after the Scream) and so it became the norm to chose to travel to that system. With tradition holding such importance in Velan culture, it is rare for a Navigator to choose a different destination for their voyage. No one knows why Ergus was originally chosen but researchers claim it to be anything from outside influence from God leading his chosen to reclaim the sector for the Empire to a drunk student throwing a dart at a sector map. A study into the history of the tradition and its effect on graduate culture from the Musaeum of Pharos in recent years lead a group of Fakri to spend more time on Ergus. Through this, they heard rumors of a large repository of knowledge and started the chain of events that would lead to the rediscovery of the Second Preceptor Archive. Since this event, followers of The Way have taken this tradition as a sign of the Guardian leading their followers back to the Archive and that it was Vela’s Path to find. Freepeople / Serf Education The segregation between noble and freepeople / serfs was abolished during the reformation and all navigational schools now teach the same Velan tradition. While Vela was an imperial house freepeople and serfs could obtain licenses for navigation at Velan Colleges. If you had a noble sponsorship you were able to attend and be taught as if you were a noble with some notable differences: * Only Class M was ever taught to non-noble students. * The classes were devoid of most traditions of Vela and just the mathematical and technical knowledge was taught. * All classes at specific to Serf / Freemen Colleges were taught by serfs of House Vela. * Students were taught in large class sizes of 20-50 at a time. * They required a 90% accuracy on all exams and practical exercises to graduate. * The shadowing period was twice as long. * Students were not allowed to participate officially in the Pilgrimage. * Students didn't have a special graduation ceremony. Category:Education Category:The Velan Ascendancy Category:House Vela